Hi, I have a Windows program that collects data and would like to store this data in a database that is usually accessed through Rails. It was recommended that I try to "POST" the data to the Rails application. I''m running into some problems trying to format my POST string for the application. I''m trying to learn by interfacing to the TODO application (Four Days with Rails) with Borland C++ Builder that has some components for HTTP access. According to the application, to create a new category, I need to post to "http://localhost/categories/create" (that seems to work fine) For the POST string, I''m using "category_category=newCat" - this seems to have a problem cos the server returns a packet saying that it was unable to save the data - "Category is too short (minimum is 1 characters)" The form to which I am posting has the following: <form action="/categories/create" method="post"> <table><tr> <td><b><label for="category_category">Category:</label></b></td> <td><input id="category_category" maxlength="20" name="category[category]" size="20" type="text" value="" /></td> </tr> </table><hr /> <input type="submit" value="Save" /> <input type="button" value="Cancel" onClick="parent.location=''/categories/list''"> </form> Any idea on how the string should be formatted? Do I need to include anything about the Submit button? I''ve spent quite a while trying to search the net but to no avail - the items in my search (like post string) are too generic to get any meaningful results.. Thanks, Mohit.
> Hi, I have a Windows program that collects data and would like to store this > data in a database that is usually accessed through Rails. > > It was recommended that I try to "POST" the data to the Rails application. > I''m running into some problems trying to format my POST string for the > application. I''m trying to learn by interfacing to the TODO application > (Four Days with Rails) with Borland C++ Builder that has some components for > HTTP access. > > According to the application, to create a new category, I need to post to > "http://localhost/categories/create" (that seems to work fine) > For the POST string, I''m using "category_category=newCat" - this seems to > have a problem cos the server returns a packet saying that it was unable to > save the data - "Category is too short (minimum is 1 characters)" > > The form to which I am posting has the following: > > <form action="/categories/create" method="post"> > <table><tr> > <td><b><label for="category_category">Category:</label></b></td> > <td><input id="category_category" maxlength="20" name="category[category]" > size="20" type="text" value="" /></td> > </tr> > </table><hr /> > <input type="submit" value="Save" /> > <input type="button" value="Cancel" > onClick="parent.location=''/categories/list''"> > </form> > > > Any idea on how the string should be formatted? Do I need to include > anything about the Submit button?You want ''category[category]'' not ''category_category'' (ie. you want the name attribute, not the id attribute)... -philip> > I''ve spent quite a while trying to search the net but to no avail - the items > in my search (like post string) are too generic to get any meaningful > results.. > > Thanks, > Mohit. > > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >
Philip Hallstrom wrote:>> Hi, I have a Windows program that collects data and would like to >> store this data in a database that is usually accessed through Rails. >> >> It was recommended that I try to "POST" the data to the Rails >> application. I''m running into some problems trying to format my POST >> string for the application. I''m trying to learn by interfacing to >> the TODO application (Four Days with Rails) with Borland C++ Builder >> that has some components for HTTP access. >> >> According to the application, to create a new category, I need to >> post to "http://localhost/categories/create" (that seems to work fine) >> For the POST string, I''m using "category_category=newCat" - this >> seems to have a problem cos the server returns a packet saying that >> it was unable to save the data - "Category is too short (minimum is 1 >> characters)" >> >> The form to which I am posting has the following: >> >> <form action="/categories/create" method="post"> >> <table><tr> >> <td><b><label for="category_category">Category:</label></b></td> >> <td><input id="category_category" maxlength="20" >> name="category[category]" size="20" type="text" value="" /></td> >> </tr> >> </table><hr /> >> <input type="submit" value="Save" /> >> <input type="button" value="Cancel" >> onClick="parent.location=''/categories/list''"> >> </form> >> >> >> Any idea on how the string should be formatted? Do I need to include >> anything about the Submit button? > > You want ''category[category]'' not ''category_category'' (ie. you want > the name attribute, not the id attribute)... > > -philipHi Philip, Thanks for the quick response. I should have mentioned that I did try both. Both options fail with the same error. I guess I should try and see what is actually being sent to the server. Is there any way to see what POST string the server has received? Cheers Mohit.
>>> Hi, I have a Windows program that collects data and would like to store >>> this data in a database that is usually accessed through Rails. >>> >>> It was recommended that I try to "POST" the data to the Rails application. >>> I''m running into some problems trying to format my POST string for the >>> application. I''m trying to learn by interfacing to the TODO application >>> (Four Days with Rails) with Borland C++ Builder that has some components >>> for HTTP access. >>> >>> According to the application, to create a new category, I need to post to >>> "http://localhost/categories/create" (that seems to work fine) >>> For the POST string, I''m using "category_category=newCat" - this seems to >>> have a problem cos the server returns a packet saying that it was unable >>> to save the data - "Category is too short (minimum is 1 characters)" >>> >>> The form to which I am posting has the following: >>> >>> <form action="/categories/create" method="post"> >>> <table><tr> >>> <td><b><label for="category_category">Category:</label></b></td> >>> <td><input id="category_category" maxlength="20" name="category[category]" >>> size="20" type="text" value="" /></td> >>> </tr> >>> </table><hr /> >>> <input type="submit" value="Save" /> >>> <input type="button" value="Cancel" >>> onClick="parent.location=''/categories/list''"> >>> </form> >>> >>> >>> Any idea on how the string should be formatted? Do I need to include >>> anything about the Submit button? >> >> You want ''category[category]'' not ''category_category'' (ie. you want the >> name attribute, not the id attribute)... >> >> -philip > > Hi Philip, > > Thanks for the quick response. I should have mentioned that I did try both. > Both options fail with the same error. I guess I should try and see what is > actually being sent to the server. Is there any way to see what POST string > the server has received?Check the appropriate log file (development or production). It will tell you what it thinks the incoming paramters are...
Try:
<form action="/category/create" method="post">
or even better:
<%= form_tag :action => :create, :method => ''post''
%>
Otherwise, you need to post your logs.
- dan
--
Dan Kohn <mailto:dan@dankohn.com>
<http://www.dankohn.com/> <tel:+1-415-233-1000>
On Jul 19, 2006, at 11:04 AM, Mohit Sindhwani wrote:
> Hi, I have a Windows program that collects data and would like to
> store this data in a database that is usually accessed through Rails.
>
> It was recommended that I try to "POST" the data to the Rails
> application. I''m running into some problems trying to format my
> POST string for the application. I''m trying to learn by
> interfacing to the TODO application (Four Days with Rails) with
> Borland C++ Builder that has some components for HTTP access.
>
> According to the application, to create a new category, I need to
> post to "http://localhost/categories/create" (that seems to work
fine)
> For the POST string, I''m using
"category_category=newCat" - this
> seems to have a problem cos the server returns a packet saying that
> it was unable to save the data - "Category is too short (minimum is
> 1 characters)"
>
> The form to which I am posting has the following:
>
> <form action="/categories/create" method="post">
> <table><tr>
> <td><b><label
for="category_category">Category:</label></b></td>
> <td><input id="category_category"
maxlength="20" name="category
> [category]" size="20" type="text"
value="" /></td>
> </tr>
> </table><hr />
> <input type="submit" value="Save" />
> <input type="button" value="Cancel"
onClick="parent.location=''/
> categories/list''">
> </form>
>
>
> Any idea on how the string should be formatted? Do I need to
> include anything about the Submit button?
>
> I''ve spent quite a while trying to search the net but to no avail
-
> the items in my search (like post string) are too generic to get
> any meaningful results..
>
> Thanks,
> Mohit.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>> Hi Philip, >> >> Thanks for the quick response. I should have mentioned that I did >> try both. Both options fail with the same error. I guess I should >> try and see what is actually being sent to the server. Is there any >> way to see what POST string the server has received? > > Check the appropriate log file (development or production). It will > tell you what it thinks the incoming paramters are... >Hi! Thanks again! In the meanwhile, I added some code into the flash to see the RAW_POST_DATA that was received from the browser (when it''s working) and this is what it gives me - category%5Bcategory%5D=Cat1 The corresponding line in the development log is: Parameters: {"category"=>{"category"=>"Cat1"}, "action"=>"create", "controller"=>"categories"} When my program submits data, this is what the log shows.. Parameters: {"action"=>"create", "controller"=>"categories", "category%5Bcategory%5D=newCat"=>""} Not sure what to do now :-S Thanks Mohit.
Dan Kohn wrote:> Try: > > <form action="/category/create" method="post"> > > or even better: > > <%= form_tag :action => :create, :method => ''post'' %> > > Otherwise, you need to post your logs. > > - dan >Hi Dan, Thanks for the reply. The Rails interaction with a browser works fine and is in fact created using the better style (the second one in your example above). My problem is that I am trying to post the data to it not from a web browser but instead another program that is collecting it. The program collects the data and is trying to "behave" like a browser by submitting an HTTP POST request. In this request, I''m confused about what the exact POST string should be. My current string is: category%5Bcategory%5D=newCat and shows up in the logs as: Parameters: {"action"=>"create", "controller"=>"categories", "category%5Bcategory%5D=newCat"=>""} while the post from the browser is: category%5Bcategory%5D=Cat1 and shows in the logs as: Parameters: {"category"=>{"category"=>"Cat1"}, "action"=>"create", "controller"=>"categories"} Trying to figure out what to do.. Cheers Mohit. Thanks Mohit.
Mohit Sindhwani wrote:> Thanks for the reply. The Rails interaction with a browser works fine > and is in fact created using the better style (the second one in your > example above). > > My problem is that I am trying to post the data to it not from a web > browser but instead another program that is collecting it. The program > collects the data and is trying to "behave" like a browser by submitting > an HTTP POST request. In this request, I''m confused about what the > exact POST string should be. > My current string is: category%5Bcategory%5D=newCat > and shows up in the logs as: > Parameters: {"action"=>"create", "controller"=>"categories", > "category%5Bcategory%5D=newCat"=>""} > while the post from the browser is: category%5Bcategory%5D=Cat1 > and shows in the logs as: > Parameters: {"category"=>{"category"=>"Cat1"}, "action"=>"create", > "controller"=>"categories"} > > Trying to figure out what to do..It is probably a Form encoding problem. http://www.webreference.com/html/tutorial13/4.html My advice, look at the simply_restful plugin and post the data as Xml. I can''t give any code samples because I haven''t actually done this yet using Rails. But I hope this gets you going in a simpler direction anyway. Matt Griffith http://mattgriffith.net -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
I''d recommend using the Live HTTP Headers extension for Firefox. It
will let you drop down a level lower and see exactly what is being
transmitted in the HTTP transactions by the browser and by your
client. One possibility is that you''re not setting the MIME type
correctly, but the HTTP logs will show you exactly what''s different.
- dan
--
Dan Kohn <mailto:dan@dankohn.com>
<http://www.dankohn.com/> <tel:+1-415-233-1000>
On Jul 19, 2006, at 11:52 AM, Mohit Sindhwani wrote:
>
>>> Hi Philip,
>>>
>>> Thanks for the quick response. I should have mentioned that I
>>> did try both. Both options fail with the same error. I guess I
>>> should try and see what is actually being sent to the server. Is
>>> there any way to see what POST string the server has received?
>>
>> Check the appropriate log file (development or production). It
>> will tell you what it thinks the incoming paramters are...
>>
> Hi! Thanks again! In the meanwhile, I added some code into the
> flash to see the RAW_POST_DATA that was received from the browser
> (when it''s working) and this is what it gives me - category%
> 5Bcategory%5D=Cat1
>
> The corresponding line in the development log is:
> Parameters:
{"category"=>{"category"=>"Cat1"},
"action"=>"create",
> "controller"=>"categories"}
>
> When my program submits data, this is what the log shows..
> Parameters: {"action"=>"create",
"controller"=>"categories",
> "category%5Bcategory%5D=newCat"=>""}
>
> Not sure what to do now :-S
>
> Thanks
> Mohit.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
Dan Kohn wrote:> I''d recommend using the Live HTTP Headers extension for Firefox. It > will let you drop down a level lower and see exactly what is being > transmitted in the HTTP transactions by the browser and by your > client. One possibility is that you''re not setting the MIME type > correctly, but the HTTP logs will show you exactly what''s different. > > - dan > --Dan Kohn <mailto:dan@dankohn.com> > <http://www.dankohn.com/> <tel:+1-415-233-1000> >Hi Dan & Philip, Thanks for your inputs. I tried a number of things (rather uselessly) and then switched to using a different component for submitting the data via a POST HTTP action to the server. It works now - you were right, it was indeed a Now on to more interesting things 1- stitching together all the parameters that need to be submitted (in my C++ program) 2- understand the response to make sure it succeeded (in my C++ program) 3- seeing if it''s possible to create a different kind of response for POSTs received from this program (on the Rails sides) 4 - working through authentication As regards #3, I read about the ".xhr?" method to check if the request was an AJAX request and also for using responds_to. Should I use a ''custom'' format that it accepts to distinguish between requests from my application and other requests from the web? Or is there some other cleaner way to deal with it? Cheers Mohit.
What was the actual issue?
I would just add a field to your post, client = c++ version 0.9. You
could even use a custom HTTP User Agent header. I think .xhr is
confusing paradigms for no reason.
- dan
--
Dan Kohn <mailto:dan@dankohn.com>
<http://www.dankohn.com/> <tel:+1-415-233-1000>
On Jul 20, 2006, at 12:14 AM, Mohit Sindhwani wrote:
> Dan Kohn wrote:
>> I''d recommend using the Live HTTP Headers extension for
Firefox.
>> It will let you drop down a level lower and see exactly what is
>> being transmitted in the HTTP transactions by the browser and by
>> your client. One possibility is that you''re not setting the
MIME
>> type correctly, but the HTTP logs will show you exactly what''s
>> different.
>>
>> - dan
>> --Dan Kohn <mailto:dan@dankohn.com>
>> <http://www.dankohn.com/> <tel:+1-415-233-1000>
>>
> Hi Dan & Philip,
>
> Thanks for your inputs. I tried a number of things (rather
> uselessly) and then switched to using a different component for
> submitting the data via a POST HTTP action to the server. It works
> now - you were right, it was indeed a
>
> Now on to more interesting things
> 1- stitching together all the parameters that need to be submitted
> (in my C++ program)
> 2- understand the response to make sure it succeeded (in my C++
> program)
> 3- seeing if it''s possible to create a different kind of response
> for POSTs received from this program (on the Rails sides)
> 4 - working through authentication
>
> As regards #3, I read about the ".xhr?" method to check if the
> request was an AJAX request and also for using responds_to. Should
> I use a ''custom'' format that it accepts to distinguish
between
> requests from my application and other requests from the web? Or
> is there some other cleaner way to deal with it?
>
> Cheers
> Mohit.
Dan Kohn wrote:> What was the actual issue? > > I would just add a field to your post, client = c++ version 0.9. You > could even use a custom HTTP User Agent header. I think .xhr is > confusing paradigms for no reason. > > - danHi Dan, Thanks for hanging in there :) I should have pointed this out, my apologies! The actual issue seems to have been with the C++ component that I was using. I tried a number of combinations and tried to even trace the actual headers that were sent. I found that the size of the "content" was always larger by a few bytes than what I expected (this wasn''t clearly documented in the help files, so I don''t know what it''s doung!) I think it was doing some encoding that was messing up things. I did eventually do a search related to the component and found that many people had faced a similar problem... and recommended migrating to another freeware component instead. When I switched to the new component and followed the example, it worked just fine! (Actually, it gives me another error but that I can solve!) I do not want to go down the .xhr path to create different results for my program - I am more keen to use either "Accepts" or perhaps another field for this job. Actually, using another field seems to be the easier and more elegant solution... I''d prefer to avoid having to receive HTML in the C++ program and then try to figure out the actual codes embedded in the HTML... :) What do you guys think about using a separate action in the controller... so, I post to "/categories/create_from_pcclient" instead of "/categories/create"? I''m not sure how I can prevent it being accessed from the web in that case.. Thanks... if you have any suggestions, do send in :)>> Now on to more interesting things >> 1- stitching together all the parameters that need to be submitted >> (in my C++ program)This should be simple enough to do :)>> 2- understand the response to make sure it succeeded (in my C++ program)Depends on solution to #3..>> 3- seeing if it''s possible to create a different kind of response for >> POSTs received from this program (on the Rails sides)Thanks for the inputs...>> 4 - working through authenticationHmmm.. I think this needs cookies.. I have to see what''s required from my C++ program to maintain user sessions! Anyway, I''m enjoying this project! :) Cheers Mohit.
If the controller methods do the same thing, I''d avoid repeating myself. I think a user-agent header should be easy to set and check for. - dan -- Dan Kohn <mailto:dan@dankohn.com> <http://www.dankohn.com/> <tel:+1-415-233-1000> ...... Original Message ....... On Fri, 21 Jul 2006 00:45:44 +0800 "Mohit Sindhwani" <mo_mail@onghu.com> wrote:>Dan Kohn wrote: >> What was the actual issue? >> >> I would just add a field to your post, client = c++ version 0.9. You >> could even use a custom HTTP User Agent header. I think .xhr is >> confusing paradigms for no reason. >> >> - dan > >Hi Dan, > >Thanks for hanging in there :) > >I should have pointed this out, my apologies! The actual issue seems to >have been with the C++ component that I was using. I tried a number of >combinations and tried to even trace the actual headers that were sent. >I found that the size of the "content" was always larger by a few bytes >than what I expected (this wasn''t clearly documented in the help files, >so I don''t know what it''s doung!) I think it was doing some encoding >that was messing up things. I did eventually do a search related to the >component and found that many people had faced a similar problem... and >recommended migrating to another freeware component instead. When I >switched to the new component and followed the example, it worked just >fine! (Actually, it gives me another error but that I can solve!) > >I do not want to go down the .xhr path to create different results for >my program - I am more keen to use either "Accepts" or perhaps another >field for this job. Actually, using another field seems to be the >easier and more elegant solution... I''d prefer to avoid having to >receive HTML in the C++ program and then try to figure out the actual >codes embedded in the HTML... :) > >What do you guys think about using a separate action in the >controller... so, I post to "/categories/create_from_pcclient" instead >of "/categories/create"? I''m not sure how I can prevent it being >accessed from the web in that case.. > >Thanks... if you have any suggestions, do send in :) > >>> Now on to more interesting things >>> 1- stitching together all the parameters that need to be submitted >>> (in my C++ program) >This should be simple enough to do :) > >>> 2- understand the response to make sure it succeeded (in my C++ program) >Depends on solution to #3.. > >>> 3- seeing if it''s possible to create a different kind of response for >>> POSTs received from this program (on the Rails sides) >Thanks for the inputs... > >>> 4 - working through authentication >Hmmm.. I think this needs cookies.. I have to see what''s required from >my C++ program to maintain user sessions! > > >Anyway, I''m enjoying this project! :) >Cheers >Mohit.